What the new energy strategy currently being prepared brings

The preparation for the development of a new energy strategy is underway, which will aim not only to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also to increase energy supply security and sustainability, enhance energy availability, and reduce energy dependence, said Ante Čikotić, State Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, at the Energy Day forum in Croatia on Friday.

Preparations for the strategy are ongoing, with a significant emphasis on restructuring the system in the energy sector, which must become efficient and serve the citizens and the economy, Čikotić stated at the event organized by the Croatian Energy Society (HED).

In addition to developing the new strategy, he identified the reform of the institutional framework in the energy sector, the professionalization of management in state-owned energy companies, and the promotion of advanced energy networks as the main priorities of energy policy. He added that the current fragmentation of competencies and unclear responsibilities are obstacles for entrepreneurs and a source of frustration for users.

– Therefore, we are moving towards merging certain agencies and institutions related to energy with the aim of creating a single place that will be a hub for energy thinking and a generator for the implementation of new and advanced ideas in the energy sector, he said.

The reform of the energy sector, as he noted, will begin with the establishment of a proactive, independent energy regulatory agency.

Croatia among the first in the EU to develop a low-carbon strategy

Čikotić also stated that Croatia is intensively working on policies related to reducing the impacts of climate change and is among the first in the EU to develop a Low-Carbon Development Strategy, not only for 2030 but also looking towards 2050.

This is a fundamental document that commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transferring them into sectoral policies – transport, construction, energy, agriculture, and the economy.

– Low-carbon development will enable Croatia to achieve economic growth with lower electricity consumption and other forms of energy, and with greater use of renewable sources, thus becoming a society based on green technologies, Čikotić said.

He mentioned that the development of a climate change adaptation strategy has been initiated, which will provide insights into the impacts on vulnerable sectors, such as tourism, and opportunities for adaptation. All of this will enable the development of Croatia as a country resilient to climate change, with low emission levels and a green economy, as well as a stable and sustainable energy supply, Čikotić stated.

The President of the Croatian Energy Society (HED), Goran Granić, said that a significant step has been made in Croatia, with the establishment of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, which enables the creation of a unified energy and climate policy. Energy, as he stated, is a synergy of various influencing factors – climate preservation, energy markets, infrastructure, and greater use of renewable sources.

– Only those energy systems that are well-balanced are secure, Granić emphasized.

He added that “a unified energy and climate policy is the answer to problems and the right direction in which energy development should be planned.”